Fuel-reserve-supply system



J..G. OBRIEN AND F. ALP-ICARD.

FUELRESERVE SUPPLYSYSIEM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27.1920.

1,409,310. Patented Mar. 14,1922. Y

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

i. .i. I I v 1. 6. O' RIEN AND F; A. PICARD.

FUEL RESERVE SUPPLY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 27. I920- 1,409,310. 'PatentilMam.14,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES rare-m orrics v JOHN GEORGE OBRIEN AND FRANK A. PICARD, OF SAG-INAW, MICHIGAN.

rUEL-nEsEnvn-sUrrLY SYSTEM.

To aZZ whom itmag concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN GEORGE OBRIEN and FRANK A. ProAnD, both being citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at 1021 S. Park Street and 619 Atwater St, Saginaw, Saginaw County, State of Michigan, have invented, certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-Reserve-Supply Systems; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fuel reserve supply systems and pertains more particularly to reserve supply systems adapted for use with the tanks of internal combustion engines.

Our invention is especially well adapted to that class of fuel. reserve supply systems in which means isprovided for stopping the flow from the'tank when the contents-of the tank has been reduced to a, quantity corresponding to the desired reserve. The user is thereby notified that the tank must soon be filled.

One object of our improvement is to provide a one-piece handle member which will comprise means not only for opening and closing the outlet of the tank, but will also engage the filling plug of the tank when the outlet valve is opened, so that the filling plug can not be removed and the tank refilled until the valve-operating member has been disengaged from the filling plug. Such disengagement will automatically close the outlet valve and thereby insure another reserve supply when the tank is re-filled.

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved Yalve of simple construction adapted to open and close by vertical movement and furthermore to provide means whereby the valve and its operating lever or handle can be easily and quickly attached to an existing fuel tank. The onepiece handle of the valve not only opens and closes the valve, but it also engages the filling plug when the valve is open and disengages the plug whenever the valve is closed, as above noted.

With the foregoing and certain other objects in view which will be hereinafterset forth, the invention comprises the devices described and claimed and the equivalents thereof.

In the drawings, Fig. lis a pipe nipple Specification of I.etters Patent. Patgnted M31314, 11922.

Application filed May 27, 1920. Serial No. 384,759

Y used to connect the feed line with the fuel tank and adapted to project up into the tank a distancecorresponding to the req'uiredreserve supply.

Fig. 2 isa vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 5.

3 isa side elevatiOnofthevalve and of a preferred form of handle by which the valve may be operatedynthe valve and handle being attached .respectivelyto: the bottom and top of a fuel supply tank.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on V the line 44 of Fig. in position.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the lin 4% as viewed from below.

3, showing the valve Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the operating f handle shown in Fi 3 7 iS an end view ofzthe parts shown inFig. 6.

F'gs. 8 and 9 are respectively {diagram-13;:

matic side elevations of part of a tank with our improvement attached, Fig. 8 showing 7 the valve closedand Fig. Qshovvingit open.

As is clearly shown in the'drawings, the

device consists in a supporting bracket or f cage 1 carrying a removable valve seat 2, the cage being adapted to bejsecured by means of rivets 6 to the bottom 10 of the fuel tank. :The upper end of the cage is perforated to sli dingly' receive a vertically movable stem of valve 3, which-when closed rests upon the valve-seat 2.-

Betweenthe upper end of bracket 1 and the valve 3 is a compression spring lwhich surrounds the stem 5 and normally holds the valve in closed position. The stem 5 projects through the top91of the tank andthrough the bottom of a bearing-trough 13, which-is secured by rivets 15 to top 9. This bearing supports a suit able cam 12, to which the upper end of the stem 5 is eocentrically pivoted, as at 14.

he cam 12 is provided with a handle 7 which may be swung, in a vertical plane, say,

from the position shown in full lines in Fig; y.

3, to the position indicated at 8 by dotted lines, the latter being the position of the handle when the valve 3. is open, and the former being the position when the valve is closed. p 7

When the handle is in the position shown in Fig. 9, it rests upon and engages thegfilling cap 16, the valve being open. But when the valve is closed, as shown in Fig. 8, the handle 7 is clear of filling cap 16. i

in a vertical plane.

The tank being, full, or partly lilled and lever 7 being in the position shown in Fig. 8, and the valve 3 being closed, fuel feeds into the-main feed line 17 through: theopipe nipple 18 until the level indicated in Fig. 9 is reached. a reserve supply in the bottom of the tank. The operator then liftsthe valve by turning the handle 7 until it engageslilling cap 16, as in Fig. 9, therebyallowing the re serve to feed through pipe lines 11 and 17.

Before more fuel can be put into the tank, the handle 7 must be thrown back out of engagement with cap 16, as for example, to the position indicated in Fig. 8, permitting compression spring a to fo're valve 3 down upon its seat 2. I

This'arra-ngement makes it practically impossible for the user to forget to replenish his fuel. Having once drawn from the reserve supply it isnot possible to refill the gasoline tank without first shifting the handle 7 to clear the cap 16, therebyalso closing the valve 3. The 'closing of valve 3 automatically assures a new reserve supply.

The operator is thus safeguarded against using fuel from his reserve supply without first having received timely warning,so that he may replenish his supply before the latter is entirelygone. v

We have accomplished the objeets of our invention by employing the combination of a'directlift valve, a vertirally movable stem and a single one-piece handle that performs two functions, namely, lifting the valve and automatically engaging the filling cap when the valve is lifted.

It is obviousthat the one-piece handle, adapted to'perform the double function just mentioned, may if desireehbe so constructed as to move in a horizontal plane instead of lVe do not desire to confine the broader aspect of ourinvention to the specific fforin of handle, movable in a vertical plane. as shown in the drawings, but wish it understood that any equivalent of this one-piece handle, performing the said double function may be. employed without departing from the spirit of our invention as'set'forth in the claims.

The supply then ceases, leaving Having thus described our invention, what weclaim and desire. to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a tank having an outlet and a filling cap, a vertically movable valve and stem, said stem projecting through the top of said tank, a handle, a

free end ot'sai'd handle adapted to removably engage said filling cap, means operatively connecting saidhandle to sald stem,

said -means adapted to lift said stem and.

valve when the free end of said handle is in engagement with said cap, and to permit said valve to close when the free end of said ha dle'is out of engagement with said cap.

2. In combination with a tank having an outletand a fillin ca 3," a verticall movable a .V

valveand stem, said stem projecting through the top of said tank, a handle ontop 'of said tank, a free end of said handle adapted to removably engage said filling cap, a cam seat on said tank, a cam secured to said handle and pivotally connected to said stem, i

said cam adapted to lift said stem and valve when the free end of said handle is in engagement with said cap and to permit said valve to close when the free end of said handle is out of engagement with said cap vsubstantiallyas described.

3. Tncom'bination 'with afuel tank having reserve supply system, wanin rapja vertically movable valve controlling the outlet of said supply system, a valve stem, a

cam pivotally connected to the upper end of said valve'stem, and a handle on said cam .T. GEORGE one-R na; FRANK yrronnn. 

